The focus of Advent is upon the centuries of waiting and preparation by God’s chosen people which preceded the coming of the Messiah. As such, it is a time marked by expectation, hope, preparedness and penance. The later being mindful of John the Baptist’s cry to prepare for the coming of the Lord with repentance.

Did You Know?

THAT...Catholics begin the Christmas Season December 24th at midnight?

The fourth Sunday prior to Christmas is the beginning of the Church’s Liturgical Year. The 4 weeks preceding Christmas is the Advent Season, a time that we as Catholics focus on the coming of the promised Messiah. A time of reflection, repentance and joy awaiting the arrival of Christmas, the birth of Jesus the Christ, Son of the Living God. Our Christmas Season consists of the Birth of Jesus, the Twelve Days of Christmas following the Birth of Jesus, that culminate at the Feast of the Epiphany. But, Christmas doesn’t end there. After both Christmas and the season of Epiphany, the end of the Christmas celebrations arrives on February 2nd, 40 days after Christmas, with Candlemas, also known as the ‘Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.

Good News

The Grey Muzzle Organization

The Grey Muzzle Organization improves the lives of at-risk senior dogs by providing funding and resources to animal shelters, rescue organizations, sanctuaries, and other non-profit groups nationwide. We are not a shelter or rescue group. Rather, Grey Muzzle funds programs such as hospice care, senior dog adoption, medical screening, and other special programs to help old dogs at animal welfare organizations across the country.

In the News

World Animal News is pleased to start the week with some positive news following a harrowing week and weekend of wildfires burning throughout Southern California.

Del Mar Fairgrounds Public Information Officer Annie Pierce shared with WAN this morning that by the end of the day they anticipate 650 horses to still be temporarily housed at the 40-plus barns located on the property. As of Friday, there were more than 850 sheltered at the backstretch area of Del Mar.

Picture of the Week

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The Snowy Owl is typically found in the northern circumpolar region, where it makes its summer home. However, it is a particularly nomadic bird, and because population fluctuations in its prey species can force it to relocate, it has been known to breed at more southerly latitudes.

Ask Susi

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Q: My parish priest told me that “we (meaning the Catholic Church) do not believe that animals go to heaven, because they have no souls.” But, my heart and faith in Jesus tells me otherwise. Is what he said true?

A: This is perhaps the most epic question I am asked, in numerous and varying contexts. Countless books and articles have been given over to the question of animals in heaven and there is the long and short of it, depending on where you really want to go. So, I will answer the initial question, and follow it with an abridged explanation for the positive.

Catholic Journeyman

A divinely orchestrated mission in fatherhood and complete obedience to The Father has the Church aptly placing Saint Joseph as the Patron of Families.We continue with Louis’ 10-Part series upon the greatest “man” to ever serve the Living God!

Meandering Along the River’s Edge

Weekly Commentary

4 Reasons Mary is the New Ark of the Covenant

The Ark of the Covenant was the point of contact for the presence of God within the Holy of Holies. And the LORD said to Moses, Tell Aaron your brother not to come at all times into the holy place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is upon the ark, lest he die; for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat. At the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel told Mother Mary she would be the Mater Dei, the Mother of God. In her womb God’s physical presence would dwell in a way never before seen: the second person of the Trinity was to take upon human nature, and become Incarnate

Catholic Writers

Solange Hertz

An established writer before the Second Vatican Council, Solange Hertz wrote for most Catholic periodicals and had five books to her credit, one a selection of the Catholic Literary Foundation. When she refused to adjust her theology to the new “Spirit of Vatican II,” her manuscripts almost overnight became unacceptable to her former editors. After a series of articles on feminine spiritual for the old Triumph magazine, she continued speaking for tradition by successfully producing on her own, The Thought of His Heart, and Sin Revisited.

In 1973 she began writing the Big Rock Papers, published privately throughout the next decade and the source of the highly acclaimed Star Spangled Heresy: Americanism, published in 1992. Currently her articles can be found in The Remnant, and abroad in Apropos, Christian Order and Action Familiale et Scolaire. Mrs. Hertz is universally regarded as one of traditional Catholicism’s foremost contemporary writers and lecturers.

Solange Hertz is one of the most outspoken defenders of Catholic tradition. You may not agree with her on every single topic, but you must admit, she gets you thinking about issues that you didn’t even realize were issues! Her keen perspective cuts through the veil of societal conditioning that so often clouds our eyes. Her big pet peeves include Americanism, masonry, and liberalism while her main tenets include counter-culturalism, the family, and monarchy. Be very careful when reading her words, because her passion and zeal is contagious!

REST IN PEACE: Nellie Solange Hertz died Saturday, October 3, 2015 at 10:15 PM in Ashburn, VA. She was 95 years old.

Recommended Read

The Thought Of Their Heart

The final work of Solange Hertz

Both the Sacred Heart devotion and the Rosary come from the divine hand of friendship personally extended to us against the dehumanization of the computer age. In the words of St. Padre Pio, “The Rosary is THE weapon given us by Mary.”

In 1893, Pope Leo XIII issued the encyclical Laetitia sanctae, which proposed a schema for curing the three principal ills of modern society in terms of the Rosary, teaching that:

1. the distaste for simple labor which characterizes the industrial age must yield to the salutary precepts of the Joyful Mysteries;
2. the repugnance for suffering endemic to a pleasure-motivated society must be overcome by living the Sorrowful Mysteries; and
3. the lethal forgetfulness of a future life must be dispelled by ordering all human endeavor to the Glorious Mysteries.

In The Thought of Their Heart, Hertz examines the histories of both devotions, and delves into why these two devotions need to be a part of every Catholic’s spiritual life.

Catholic Saints

The Blessed Virgin Mary – The Woman I Love

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

Quote of the Week

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The ark is verily the holy Virgin, gilded within and without, who received the treasure of universal sanctification. Arise, O Lord, from the Father’s bosom, to raise up again the ruined race of our first parent.

~St. Gregory Thaumaturgus (c. 213-c. 270)~

Geology & Archaeology

History & Geography of Bethlehem

Bethlehem in Smiths Bible Dictionary (house of bread). 1. One of the oldest towns in Israel, already in existence at the time of Jacob’s return to the country. Its earliest name was EPHRATH or EPHRATAH. See Ge 35:16,19; 48:7 After the conquest Bethlehem appears under its own name, BETHLEHEM-JUDAH. Jud 17:7; 1Sa 17:12; Ru 1:1,2 The book of Ruth is a page from the domestic history of Bethlehem. It was the home of Ruth, Ru 1:19 and of David. 1Sa 17:12 It was fortified by Rehoboam. 2Ch 11:6 It was here that our Lord was born, Mt 2:1 and here that he was visited by the shepherds, Lu 2:15-17 and the Magi. Matt 2. The modern town of Beit-lahm lies to the east of the main road from Jerusalem to Hebron, six miles from the former. It covers the east and northeast parts of the ridge of a long gray hill of Jura limestone, which stands nearly due east and West, and is about a mile in length. The hill has a deep valley on the north and another on the south. On the top lies the village in a kind of irregular triangle. The population is about 3000 souls, entirely Christians. The Church of the Nativity, built by the empress Helena A.D. 330, is the oldest Christian church in existence. It is built over the grotto where Christ is supposed to have been born. 2. A town in the portion of Zebulun, named nowhere but in Jos 19:15 Now known as Beit-lahm.

Global Weather

California wildfires show no let-up

Thousands of people in Southern California were forced to evacuate this week as wind-whipped wildfires continued to blaze across Ventura County.

Officials said the so-called “Thomas Fire,” which started on Dec. 4 about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, has now caused at least 50,000 people to evacuate, destroyed at least 794 structures and scorched roughly 234,200 acres so far. About 18,000 additional structures are threatened by the wildfire as well, according to officials.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown. As of Tuesday morning, it was only 20 percent contained.

Climate

A new study measuring temperatures over the past two millennia has concluded that in fact the temperatures seen in the last decade are far from being the hottest in history.

A large team of scientists making a comprehensive study of data from tree rings say that in fact global temperatures have been on a falling trend for the past 2,000 years and they have often been noticeably higher than they are today – despite the absence of any significant amounts of human-released carbon dioxide in the atmosphere back then.

“We found that previous estimates of historical temperatures during the Roman era and the Middle Ages were too low,” says Professor-Doktor Jan Esper of the Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, one of the scientists leading the study. “Such findings are also significant with regard to climate policy.”

Sustainability

9 Up-cycled Gifts to Make and Give

Here at TreeHugger, we love DIY projects that give new life to old materials. Upcycling not only prevents things from ending up in the trash, but it also helps reduce the amount of natural resources that are needed to make new things. We hope the ideas on the following pages will inspire you to make some upcycled and one-of-a-kind gifts this holiday season.

Conservation

How to save Zoos

One of my earlier memories from my childhood is visiting the Frankfurt zoo in Germany. I watched several elephants in an indoor enclosure, and while they were huge and fascinating, it also saddened me to see such magnificent animals in captivity. I also remember having straw thrown in my face by one of those elephants, although my parents dispute this.

Environment

How to identify conservation priorities near YOU

A key step in protecting natural resources is to identify those areas that are important to conserve. The concept of green infrastructure aims to do just that—it’s a strategically planned and managed network of natural lands, open spaces, wildlife habitats, parks, and other assets that serve plant and animal species while at the same time absorbing air pollution and filtering and cleaning our water.

Through Esri’s National Green Infrastructure Initiative, you can explore an area’s conservation potential through applications that can be customized to align with the values that matter most to you. Along with local data, this information can be used to identify your community’s most important natural assets, to detect areas at greatest risk of being lost, to locate degraded areas that can be restored, and to further enhance a landscape’s function by connecting fragmented natural areas.

God’s Green Earth

Dancers of the Deep

Farm News

Raising free-Range Chickens

I decided early on that I wouldn’t raise plastic chickens on my own place, and you don’t have to either. Here’s how to resurrect those fine old-time skills and raise egg-and-meat birds as close to nature’s way as makes practical sense anymore.

Steward Alerts

The Holy Father’s Message on Advent

Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning!

Last Sunday we began Advent with the invitation to watch. Today, the second Sunday of this time of preparation for Christmas, the Liturgy points out the proper contents: it’s the time to recognize the voids to fill in our life, to smooth the asperities of pride and make room for Jesus who is coming.

Steward Activities

Eco-Parish Guide

The Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM) is proud to announce the release of the Eco-Parish Guide for Catholic Parishes. This free guide will be a great resource for your parish to bring Laudato Si’ to life.

Developed in cooperation with GCCM’s partners around the globe, the guide is directed at Catholic parishes globally to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by addressing actions in relation to parish operations, the congregation, and the broader community. Inspired by Catholic Social Teaching,

A Song Before The Lord

CAROL OF THE ADVENT – People Look East

Gardening

How to create a Moonlight Garden

Moonlight gardening relates to plants that show off their textures, colors and sometimes their silhouettes from dusk into the moonlight hours, said Irene Barber, who coordinates the Adult Horticulture Education Program for the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine. Flowers in a moonlight garden can also be open during the day, she notes. It’s a common myth that flowers that bloom at night never bloom in the day.

Wellness & Nutrition

Staying Healthy Through Christmas

Wondering how you’re going to survive the holiday party season? Good Food nutritionist, Kerry Torrens shares her secrets for staying healthy over Christmas, avoiding overindulgence and beating the morning-after blues.

“My diet is pretty good most of the time, as you’d expect” says Kerry, “but the party season is tricky. Here are my strategies for coping with the overindulgence and late nights that are an inevitable but enjoyable part of the festive season.”

Stargazing

President Donald Trump signed an order Dec. 11 formally directing NASA to send humans back to the moon, but provided no information on schedules or budgets for such an initiative.

In a brief White House ceremony, Trump signed what the administration is calling Space Policy Directive 1, which enacts a recommendation made at the National Space Council meeting in October to make a return to the moon a step towards eventual human missions to Mars.

Smile

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Jesus, are you in here? They said you would come wrapped up!

Disclaimer

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"Mir"

WEEKLY PRAYER

Father in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of his truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.

EBOOK

Animals In Heaven? Catholics Want To Know! is a marvelous book that allows you to skip around the book’s chapters and read the ones that interest you the most FIRST. This book is designed to get you in to the message by starting you wherever you feel drawn as you look down the Table of Contents. We hope you read it all, but, please enjoy the journey and let your heart guide you.

JAMS & JELLY

WEEKLY SMILE

HOT LINK

FYI

REPORT PET ABUSE

If you witness animal cruelty in progress and do not know the number to the appropriate agency, CALL 911.

Animal cruelty is a CRIME, and the police dispatcher will be able to determine which department should respond.

CREATION STATS

An asteroid named 3200 Phaethon is responsible for the volume of the meteors we see in the Geminid Meteor Shower every December. The asteroid has a debris trail in orbit around the sun. Once a year, Earth runs into this dusty path, which intersects our planet's path through space.

SCRIPTURE IN NATURE

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 1 Corinthians 15:41

FUNNY PONDERINGS

How do they get a deer to cross at that yellow road sign?

RULE OF LIFE

If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.